RSF accepts ceasefire under Trump-backed Sudan peace initiative as Burhan rejects talks

Sudanese General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries. [AFP]

  Rapid Support Forces commander Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has accepted a three-month humanitarian truce under US President Donald Trump’s Sudan peace initiative, putting rival military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in a difficult diplomatic position.

Burhan had earlier rejected talks, insisting on “no negotiation and no partnership” despite international pressure.

The RSF traces its roots to the Janjaweed militias active in Darfur during the early 2000s. In 2013, under then-President Omar al-Bashir, these militias were reorganised into a formal paramilitary force under Dagalo. By 2017, the RSF was formally integrated into the Sudanese Armed Forces, retaining independent command.

.Agalo and Burhan previously led Sudan’s transitional military council after Bashir’s ouster in 2019, and disputes over the RSF’s integration contributed to the outbreak of civil conflict in April 2023, which has caused widespread displacement and humanitarian challenges.

Dagalo’s acceptance of mediation terms backed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain, along with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union, creates international pressure on Burhan to engage with peace efforts.

“This historic moment is one of the most critical moments that requires responsibility and courage from everyone. The war has exhausted the people, and stopping the bloodshed has become a duty that cannot be postponed,” Dagalo said in a statement to the Sudanese people.

The RSF proposed immediate cessation of hostilities to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, calling on the Quartet countries to support implementation of the truce. Dagalo pledged to secure the movement of aid workers, ensure access to supplies, protect organisation facilities, facilitate medical teams, and cooperate with the United Nations.

The truce includes a field monitoring mechanism supervised by the Quartet and IGAD, with emphasis on accountability for violations, and the results of investigations will be announced transparently under national and international law.

Dagalo linked the truce to a broader political process that excludes what the RSF called the “terrorist Islamic movement” and the National Congress Party.

Experts note that the RSF’s unilateral declaration, combined with Burhan’s rejection of talks, places Dagalo in a stronger position before the international community, while Burhan faces pressure to engage in mediation.

“The Rapid Support Forces are of the people and with the people and are committed to the path of peace until the war ends,” Dagalo said.